Benefits Administrator

Ada County is a great place to work!  Join Our Team – Make an Impact Where It Matters Most.

Make Benefits Matter

Ada County is seeking an energetic, creative, and highly organized professional who is passionate about building relationships, engaging employees, and transforming benefits into meaningful experiences. This is a fast-paced, highly independent role that requires a strong service mindset, excellent communication skills, and the ability to make complex benefits information clear, relevant, and useful.

Serving more than 2,300 employees and approximately 4,500 covered lives, Ada County’s benefits program supports employees across diverse departments, work environments, and schedules. Success in this position requires a proactive, resourceful communicator who can adapt messaging for different audiences, build strong partnerships, and develop engaging education and outreach that helps employees understand and maximize the value of their benefits.

The Benefits Administrator serves as a trusted resource to employees and leaders while coordinating closely with brokers, consultants, carriers, and other vendor partners. This role will lead trainings, develop communication strategies, coordinate vendor resources, and ensure employees receive accurate, timely, and meaningful information. The successful candidate will be comfortable asking questions, solving problems, holding partners accountable, and bringing the right people together to get things done.

Beyond day-to-day benefits administration, this position will think strategically about employee engagement, utilization, claims costs, cost-containment opportunities, emerging benefit trends, regulatory changes, and opportunities to improve the County’s comprehensive benefits program. The ideal candidate is curious, adaptable, comfortable managing competing priorities, and able to connect the technical details of benefits with the people those benefits are intended to serve.

Ada County Human Resources
The Ada County Human Resources Department serves over 2,300 county employees, as well as the county’s 7 elected offices and 13 departments. Our Human Resources values are the foundation of how we support, engage, and empower our team. These values guide every decision we make — from hiring and development to workplace culture and employee well-being.

HR VALUES:

Serve Big:  We aim high and give our all.  We're here to make a difference.

Better Together: Our talents and ideas are welcome here, and we'll grow even better side-by-side.

Build Trust: We are committed to honesty, accountability, and meaningful connections

We offer a competitive Total Rewards package that increases your base salary by approximately 40%, including:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous vacation and sick leave 
• 11 paid holidays annually
• Participation in Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) a defined benefit plan with a 11.96% employer contribution
• 457(b) deferred compensation plan with up to 3% county match, plus a 401(k)
• Paid parental leave, life insurance, and wellness programs
• Ongoing training opportunities and career development
• Remote work upon completion of training (up to 2 days/wk.)

Learn more about Ada County Human Resources by visiting Ada County Human Resources

POSITION GENERAL SUMMARY:
The Benefits Administrator serves as a subject matter expert and strategic lead for the administration, development, contracts and compliance of group benefit programs including health, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, flexible spending plan, retirement plans across Ada County. The Benefits Administrator supervises the benefits staff and is responsible for directing and planning the day-to-day operations and short and long-term initiatives. This position works collaboratively with leadership, cross-functional teams, and external vendors to drive solutions that support employee well-being and organizational goals.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:
Performs work with high degree of latitude.  Handles most complex issues and possesses expert subject matter knowledge.  Carries out work assignments, projects in accordance with instructions, policies, previous training or accepted human resource and benefits practices.Strategic Oversight & Planning

• Lead the planning and execution of benefit program operations, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and wellness programs;
• Analyze utilization trends, cost drivers, and market data to inform benefit plan design and cost-containment strategies;
• Provide strategic recommendations to leadership regarding benefit offerings, emerging trends, regulatory updates, and long-term program sustainability;

• Prepare, collect, and organize data for actuarial assessments; 
• Design, recommend and implement new benefits programs and examine possible plan designs and benefits cost changes;

• Collaborate with various stakeholders including but not limited to Budget & Finance, Payroll, Legal, and agency leadership to align benefits strategies.

Program Management & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and IRS guidelines;
• Coordinate with legal counsel, auditors, and vendors to support compliance reviews, plan documents, plan filings, and audits;

• Maintain data integrity within HRIS and benefits systems; oversee audits and reconciliations; 
• Serve as advisor for the Ada County Health Care Trust and as ex-officio, non-voting member recommending solutions from identified issues and risks regarding the financial solvency of the Ada County Healthcare Trust fund and serves as HIPAA Privacy Official;

• Generate and analyze reports related to benefit enrollment, cost trends, utilization, and budget forecasting.

Vendor & Contract Management

• Serve as the primary liaison with insurance carriers, benefit vendors, brokers, and consultants;
• Oversee Request for Proposal (RFP) processes and negotiate benefit contracts and renewals to align with organizational objectives and budgetary goals;
• Monitor vendor performance and ensure high-quality service delivery.

Employee Experience & Communications

• Develop and manage comprehensive employee communication and education strategies related to benefits and total rewards;
• Lead benefit orientations, open enrollment campaigns, and wellness initiatives to increase awareness and engagement;
• Provide consultation and training to agency leaders
• Serve as an escalation point for complex benefit inquiries and issue resolution.

Benefits Team Leadership

• Provide day-to-day oversight of benefits administration including enrollments, electronic data transfer, invoicing and records maintenance; 

• Supervise personnel, assigns work, reviews and evaluates performance, adheres to policies and procedures, resolves employee complaints, participates in interviewing and hiring employees, trains employees, tracks time, coordinates vacation schedules and leave coverage, and conducts performance evaluations; 

• Enforce policy, procedures, and standards to ensure consistent, compliant, timely, and accurate work;

• Foster a positive work environment that encourages team collaboration, professional development, and embodies the culture of Ada County Human Resources;

• Document and maintain administrative procedures for assigned benefits processes;
• Preserve confidentiality of employee medical documentation and files;
• Serve as a back-up for benefits positions.

Healthcare Trust:

• Provide administrative support to Health Care Trust including the processing of vouchers, invoices, developing and posting agendas, taking meeting minutes and clerking meetings;
• Assist with insurance billing audit, reconciliation, and invoice processing.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

• May assist HRIS Analyst with HRIS benefits module system testing;
• May assist with weekly and monthly invoicing;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Human Resource Management or a related field OR an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• A minimum of five (5) years of previous related work experience and at least (2) years supervising a team or serving as a lead;
• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), Professional Human Resources certification (PHR), Society for Human Resource Management certification (SHRM-CP), preferred;
• Knowledge of the processes and theories used for public budgetary and financial policies for benefit funds;
• Knowledge of financial and budget systems and reporting;
• Knowledge of funding and claim reserve management;
• Knowledge of benefit contract language and public procurement laws;
• Knowledge of leadership/supervisory/management best practices;
• Knowledge of operational understanding of claim processing and provider reimbursement;
• Knowledge of benefit rate making and self-funded financial methodologies;
• Knowledge of the principles and best practices of human resources, employee development, mentoring and employee relations; 
• Knowledge and understanding of ERISA, COBRA, ACA, IRS, DOL that impact employee benefits;
• Knowledge of the leave requirements and other legal protections afforded by the FMLA, ADA, USERRA, and other applicable laws;
• Ability to propose, develop and present process improvement strategies using operational and performance data;
• Skill in effective oral and written communication and conducting presentations;
• Skill in interpreting and analyzing data and applying critical and analytical thinking to resolve problems;
• Skill in prioritizing multiple tasks, planning and organizing work to meet deadlines; 
• Ability to apply project management principles and techniques to create project plans, manage scope, and schedule deliverables;
• Ability to take initiatives to plan and accomplish objectives in a timely fashion;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with project team members, supervisors, employees from other departments and third-party administrators;
• Strong experience in advising and providing consultation to employees on benefit and leave programs;
• Experience with various computer software programs such MS Word, Power Point, Excel, Publisher, and Outlook, Zoom, Teams, WebEx as well as database management programs
• Experience using an HRIS system, Oracle preferred;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, department directors, employees, the public and county agencies; 
• Ability to independently make accurate decisions, draw conclusions, problem solve, follow through on tasks and communicate directly with employees and management;
• Ability to explain complex information in an understandable fashion; 
• Ability to compile data and information for reports, compose letters and memoranda, and make presentations in group settings;
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing and exercise tact and discretion;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality;
• Ability to work independently to complete tasks with minimum oversight; 
• Ability to effectively communicate with people in potentially stressful and emotional situations;
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and maintain confidentiality of sensitive information;
• Ability to show initiative, analytical and problem-solving skills, and handle multiple projects simultaneously;
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with department heads, elected officials, vendors, employees and the public;
• Ability to work under own initiative and utilize independent judgment; and
• Ability to work as part of a team to accomplish division and department goals.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license;
• Ada County HR staff furnishes their own transportation for conducting county business when necessary. 

• Work is performed primarily in an office environment and the employee in this class is subject to inside environmental conditions;
• May be required up to 20 lbs.;
• Requires sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes, to permit the employee to function in a general office environment and accomplish tasks.

DISCLAIMER:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the primary job responsibilities satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being assigned to this job. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of individuals in the job. This job description is not an employment agreement and/or an expressed or implied employment contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice. Ada County provides Veteran's Preference for all County jobs except for those deemed "key positions" in accordance with Title 65, Chapter 5 of Idaho Code.